Rowena Duncum at The Country site at Fieldays 2022. Photo / Supplied
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Opinion: The Country’s executive producer Rowena Duncum had a yarn to a few exhibitors and got a sneak peek at their innovative ideas and products before the gates officially opened at Fieldays today.
At 8 am today the gates open for Fieldays 2022.
It’s been a long time coming - 529 sleeps to be precise, after a postponement in June due to concerns around Covid and also supply issues with many exhibitors not able to access enough stock or the latest models.
In the build-up, while sites were being constructed and dressed, I chatted with a few exhibitors and investigated a few things I’d only read about but wanted to see first-hand.
The first stop was Fonterra. Unfortunately, it was too early to sample their cheese scones, but I did manage to sneak behind the wheel of Milk-E – New Zealand’s first electric milk tanker.
It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to work out that’s the direction everything will go in the future, and I’d heard a lot about Milk-E since she was officially launched by the Minister for Energy and Resources, Hon. Dr Megan Woods, in Morrinsville in July.
Being a New Zealand-first, there’s been a lot of creative thinking and Kiwi ingenuity to bring Milk-E to life.
The technology still has a ways to go but it’s pretty damn impressive what can be created on these little islands of ours.
To find out more, watch Ro’s video on The Country’s Facebook page here.
Speaking of technology, I found a drone that could literally pick me up and whisk me away from our broadcasting site in the village green if The Country radio host Jamie Mackay annoys me.
Turns out drones are no longer just small flying machines for taking pictures.
The team at SPS Automation have a huge hybrid fuel and battery-powered drone that aims to automate the task of spot spraying. They’ve developed a system to target wilding pines that can go out, identify a wilding pine, adjust its rate depending on the size of the tree and apply a targeted chemical dose.
Mind blown.
To find out more, watch Ro’s video on The Country’s Facebook page here.
Still on the topic of technology, it’s amazing how far it’s come since I stopped full-time farming in 2014.
Wandering through the Allflex site, their interactive monitoring, automation and identification displays let you play around with the latest technology and see how it could be implemented into your farming operation.
They’ve got a dedicated kids area to take care of the young ones and animal health experts on site; plus a tag machine where a $2 donation to either Meat the Need or Philips Search and Rescue Helicopter will land you with your own personalised cow ID tag!
There’s blue, green and yellow, but I made Jamie a pink one…
To find out more, watch Ro’s video on The Country’s Facebook page here.
While it’s not new technology per se, I found the coolest thing on-site at Fieldays. It’s an oldie but a goodie – a motorised chilly bin.
The team at Rata, who specialise in machinery with cool names like “Sabre claw” and “Bear claw” have a Fieldays special going, whereby if you spend over $1500 on Rata or Vogel (fertiliser spreading brand that’s been at Fieldays for the last 52 years consecutively) you go in the draw to win it.
If the SPS drone doesn’t liberate me from The Country site by the end of the week, I may have to make a dramatic exit on the motorised chilly bin.
To find out more, watch Ro’s video on The Country’s Facebook page here.
Something that’s been topical lately is the tension between forestry and farming, so it’s interesting to see a huge forestry hub pop up for the first time this year.
The hub is all about sharing information so that forestry is better understood and those farmers that want to, can be better informed before investing.
Thirty-five exhibitors are taking part, providing engaging experiences in forestry growing, climate change, wood products, timber construction, biosecurity and biodiversity.
Forest Owners Association president Grant Dodson said forestry is an excellent land use opportunity for farmers.
“We see integrated land use, with trees on farms, as a real opportunity to increase overall long-term returns for farming, while improving environmental outcomes, especially around climate change.”
To find out more, watch Ro’s video on The Country’s Facebook page here.
While Fonterra is the largest milk processor in New Zealand, Open Country comes in at number two.
They’re expanding their capacity in Taranaki and Waikato, so are hoping to entice dairy farmers in, with their four settlement-period payment to boost cash flow and the new Milk Price Plus offer for farmers in Waikato, which gives them a premium milk price and faster payment.
That, and having wood-fired pizza on site, plus blocks of cheese for their current suppliers, means Christmas will have come early for farmers at Open Country. Luckily, Jamie owns a share in an Open Country dairy farm, so I’ll be dragging him across for his (my) free block of the good stuff.
To find out more, watch Ro’s video on The Country’s Facebook page here.
While not much of an issue for a lowly radio producer, deciding what to do with any spare cash you may have lying around, is always a challenge.
New to Fieldays this year, is the Du Val Group - one of the country’s largest and most successful developers with a wide range of property investment and buy-to-live-in options.
The loveliest team of exhibitors, they talked me through their 360-degree approach to developments - from design to build to marketing to sale and rent - and how they stay involved with each development to give a rare piece of mind to their investors.
In a nice touch, as Du Val plants a huge number of natives in their developments, they have native seedlings - Pohutakawa, through to Flax and Totara - to give away to those calling in to see the team.
Gone are the days of tacky plastic giveaways at Fieldays – and I am all about that!
To find out more, watch Ro’s video on The Country’s Facebook page here.
One final piece of advice from someone who has spent the last few days onsite.
Remember to pack the bug repellant.
Only one product moved negatively at the latest Global Dairy Trade auction.